Positive results bring rookie title lead

Audi Sport TT Cup, Hungaroring 2016

South African Audi Sport TT Cup star Sheldon van der Linde moved back into the lead of the series’ rookie standings and third in the overall championship in Hungoraring’s penultimate round in Budapest, Hungary over the weekend.

“I wasn’t too happy with my first race,” 17-year old van der Linde admitted after finishing fourth. “I was not fully comfortable with the car and unable to attack for a podium place, but the second race was much better – I ended up third and I’m happy to have broken my run of bad luck to move into third in the title chase and take the lead of the rookie standings.

Van der Linde has won an equal best four of the twelve Audi TT Cup rounds so far in 2016, scored four pole positions and set three fastest race laps to sit third in the overall title chase behind seasoned drivers, Finn Joonas Lappalainen and Germany’s Dennis Marschall. He leads the rookie title by a single point over Dane Nicklas Nielsen.

“I’m a little too far back to realistically chase for the overall title now,” Sheldon explained. “But the rookie crown is there for the taking, so the objective will be to clinch it with the best possible results at the finale.” The final round of the 2016 Audi Sport TT Cup is at Hockenheim 14-16 October.